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Holy Cross, Colorado Springs, CO
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the REC,
It’s amazing to think that just two years ago this May, Holy Cross started meeting on Sunday mornings to celebrate Holy Communion. Since then, it’s been a challenging and fruitful season. The Barkalow family has grown with the birth of our third child, Sophia, who came a few weeks after our first service. She brings great joy to our family and to Holy Cross and she has taught us all about the wisdom of God (which is what Sophia means). This past September, while we were in the children’s hospital with her, she was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome. The diagnosis has helped us immensely to understand what she is going through and why her development is not the same as other children. She is a witness to our family and the whole Church of God’s faithfulness and provision.
Holy Cross has also grown since we started worshiping together. Our beloved Bishop, Ray Sutton, commissioned us as a mission to Colorado Springs last August in a beautiful service. We were honored to have Canon Jason Grote and Canon Tony Melton with us for the service, who have both made significant contributions to the development of Holy Cross as Canons and as friends. Over eighty people showed up for the service to celebrate with us, and we had thirty adults sign the charter and many children sign our children’s charter!
Currently, we meet every Sunday morning in a local high school theater for Holy Communion. After the liturgy we share a meal and then split up into various classes for catechesis. We also have several fellowships that meet throughout the week for men and women. We continue to pray and wait on God for a permanent space in which to worship, fellowship, and offer the hospitality of the Church to our neighbors.
Thank you all for your support, prayer, and fellowship as we pursue our Lord’s mission together in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the Glory of God.
In Christ,
Fr. Jesse
